From the archives: Disabled woman, 64, survives beating, stabbing

MONTREAL - Martha Taylor Gregory's thick winter coat may have saved her life.

The 64-year-old grandmother remained in a hospital yesterday after she was beaten and stabbed Monday evening by four young men who stole her car.

She was stabbed several times as she used her walker to get to her car in a Montreal North parking lot. Her assailants also punched and kicked her as she lay on the ground, breaking her nose. They left in her car and another vehicle.

A 17-year-old was arrested soon after. He appeared in Youth Court yesterday. Other arrests are expected, police said.

The attack occurred outside the Gouin Blvd. E. retirement home where Taylor Gregory had lived for three years. Yesterday, her son, Robert Gregory, was taking steps to move her out so she could live with him.

"We live in a crazy world and I don't have answers. But I am confident that justice will be done," Gregory said.

"I mean, these guys have moms, too. You don't think it's painful for (the assailants') mothers? I don't think I'd rather be on the other end, knowing that my son did this."

Gregory said his mother did not suffer severe stab wounds but he believes her life was spared by the thickness of her winter coat.

"It definitely kept the knife from maybe going in a little deeper," he said.

A doctor told reporters, however, that the woman had lost a lot of blood.

Gregory said he felt his mother would no longer be safe living in the building for retirees.

"These folks are vulnerable, they are easy prey," he said.

"My mom never leaves the building alone. She has a friend she always leaves with. The only reason she left alone (Monday evening) was because it was warm outside and she thought she would get some of the ice off her windshield."

The car was parked in a lot next to the high-rise seniors residence.

The building is located among several other retirement homes on a stretch of Gouin Blvd. that resembles a quiet retirement community. The elderly residents take advantage of such services as a bus that shuttles them to and from the grocery store.

Gregory said his mother was being well taken care of at the hospital and she will probably be able to leave in a few days.

The woman spent part of yesterday morning talking to investigators.

Her son said they were checking her walker for fingerprints. Her car, which was recovered several blocks from the scene of the attack, was being combed for evidence.

"I guess the key thing is that she is OK and recovering," Gregory said.

Several people contacted Montreal police to express their outrage at the violent attack on a vulnerable woman, said Constable Ian Lafreniere, a police spokesperson.

Montreal police investigators who specialize in street gangs have been assigned to the case. But police said the 17-year-old arrested early yesterday has no known ties to street gangs.

He was apprehended after the police located the victim's car on Hebert Ave. and chased suspects on foot. The police used a specially trained dog to locate the teenager as he hid between a building and a garage.

The other three males are described as being between 16 and 24 years old.

Lafreniere said the police expect to arrest the others soon.

"Crimes of this nature aren't tolerated, even by people in the (criminal) milieu. Someone will talk," he said.

The 17-year-old who was arrested was questioned by police.

A videotape of the interrogation was turned over to defence lawyer Michel Leclerc during the suspect's appearance in Youth Court yesterday.

Leclerc did not enter a plea for his client, who is to be tried in Youth Court even though his 18th birthday is just days away. Because he is still considered a minor, his name cannot be made public.

The accused faces a variety of charges, including attempted murder, armed robbery and conspiracy.

Prosecutor Karen Ohayon asked Judge Denis Asselin to order the 17-year-old held in custody. She also asked that the suspect be sentenced as an adult if he is convicted.

Outside the courtroom, Ohayon would not say whether the suspect's interrogation produced other suspects.

The 17-year-old is to return to court today to determine if he will be held in custody while his case is before the courts.

People who live in the victim's building were still upset yesterday by what had happened to her.

Elderly women cautioned one another about staying safe. Other residents expressed disgust about the attack on Taylor Gregory.

"She's a very nice woman. To do that to a woman that age, it takes people who are dishonest," Fortunat Lepage said.

Seniors have been the targets of holdups on that stretch of Gouin Blvd., especially during the summer months, he added.

Lepage said he always keeps a walking stick with him and that if he were ever attacked, he'd use it or his steering-wheel lock to defend himself.

"I'm 82 years old and I'm not afraid. I don't go out at night, but if someone came at me, I'd give it to him," Fortunat said, giving a reporter a spirited demonstration with his walking stick.

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